


this feeling begins just like a spark (tossing and turning inside of your heart)

by velocitaes



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Lots of it, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Not Beta Read, Oblivious Hinata Shouyou, Oblivious Kageyama Tobio, Unrequited Love, but there’s probably still mistakes, hashtag unprofessional, i actually proofread this time, not me actually googling if pigs can swim, queen of overusing commas, theyre both idiots in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:21:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26643658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velocitaes/pseuds/velocitaes
Summary: Suddenly, way too suddenly, bright brown eyes dart up to him and his breath gets caught in his throat. Then, with absolutely no mercy, Hinatasmiles. It feels like Earth has tilted off its axis and the stars have aligned all in one go. Staring into his eyes, he could see a future filled with cozy oversized sweaters in front of a fireplace during the frigid winters. His warm gaze was reminiscent of freshly brewed coffee first thing in the morning. Cinnamon clogged his senses and god, how he hated the scent of cinnamon on any other occasion but for some unknown reason, Hinata made it smell like how he imagined being at home would feel like.Kageyama didn’t quite know what he was expecting when he first set foot in Karasuno’s gymnasium. He hoped and yearned for a new beginning that could help him hone his skills and passion for his one true love that was volleyball, but most importantly he wanted a fresh start to help dispose of the burning image of a ball hitting that empty spot on the court behind him.He just wasn’t expecting for it to come in the form of one hundred and sixty-three centimeters, unruly orange hair and a blinding smile that rivaled the sun.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 4
Kudos: 80





	this feeling begins just like a spark (tossing and turning inside of your heart)

**Author's Note:**

> I let this one marinate in my notes app for about four months because I'm terrible at coming up with anything other than some good one-liners, a bunch of literary devices, titles from songs and the occasional romantic scene that plays out during my maladaptive daydreaming so yeah I’m a terrible writer. Hope you enjoy it! :)

Upon arriving to Karasuno High School, his first impression was that of many people whenever said school was brought up.

Plain, average, boring.

The fallen powerhouse, to put it simply.

Quite the stark contrast from his first choice, Shiratorizawa Academy. However, he supposed anything was better than Aoba Johsai where the ghosts of his past lingered. He longed to tear free from the chains that trapped him back then and still clutched onto him even now. So that coupled with the fact that he was determined to come on top no matter what, he was sure he would be just alright. After all, he had vowed to himself and to his late grandfather that he would do better.

Although that was easier said than done.

Truthfully, he’d be the first to admit he started his first year of high school on the wrong foot. Whether it was his difficulty communicating with others or his inability to completely let go of his failure at being a team player at Kitagawa Daiichi, he couldn’t say. All he knew was that he couldn’t see himself working with this rambunctious and hollow headed boy that proclaimed himself to be Karasuno’s future ace but had wasted three years of his athletic abilities. He recalled playing against him months prior and though the fiery boy had potential, he lacked some proper polishing.

Now if there was anything that Kageyama prided himself on, it was his well above average volleyball skills. There was no room for error, he considered his demands not only reasonable but logical as well and he was extremely ambitious. So the thought of him having to be teammates with this impulsively hyperactive redhead was like the idea of oil and water mixing; they couldn’t.

That is, until he started to get to know this said boy better.

At first it was the bond that they had formed as teammates which made enough sense right? Hinata hadn’t known about Kageyama’s past at first and well, he figured he shouldn’t have jumped so quick to conclusions when it came to his. If anything, hearing about what the boy had endured to get to where he was now was the poster picture of an inspirational story and it formed a cloud of shame over his head. He felt embarrassed at learning that the person he had underestimated actually worked hard to chase his dream of being able to stay on the court. After a couple days had passed, he found himself warming up to Hinata, albeit a bit reluctantly.

But it didn’t just stop there.

The moment he sensed a shift in their dynamic was the day of the practice match against the other first years where his troubles of not being an effective setter had crumbled away and gave room for the newfound warmth he discovered in the phrase _“I’ll gratefully spike any toss you give me!”_ It was a feeling unlike anything else he had ever experienced. It was unfamiliar being trusted unconditionally and receiving genuine praise that didn’t come with a side of expectation. He was left with the kind of breathlessness that accompanied a giant drop on a rollercoaster.

If he were to dig deep into his subconscious, he’d probably vaguely remember feeling something similar back in second grade when one of the girls who participated in the same volleyball club as his older sister offered to spike his sets. She’d come over to the house every once in a while and he’d silently listen to her and his sister’s soft giggles and hushed whispers through his bedroom wall. He’d nervously ask her to play with him under the exasperated eye rolls of his sister and she’d look at him knowingly with a warm smile before replying that she very much would.

He would also recall his upperclassman from his first year of junior high who was coincidentally in the same circle as Oikawa and Iwaizumi. He tutored him in math on several occasions as requested by his teacher and though he was friends with the boisterous and charming setter of the school, he was quiet and gentle himself. He was always very patient with him which was a virtue in itself and he always brought candy for him to chew on because it helped him concentrate.

So as emotionally unaware as he was considered to be, even he could recognize that the slight flutter in his stomach and sudden heart palpitations he got when being around Hinata was not something to be simply overlooked. Yes, perhaps he could blame it on finding teammates he could depend on or perhaps he could also blame it on the fact that he had regained his confidence on the court which is something he hadn’t experienced in a while. Certainly all these factors would be cause for celebration. However, more often than not, he questioned whether or not there was _something else_ and at that point he would quickly stop before digging any deeper.

His first priority is and always will be volleyball. Anything that could be considered a distraction was to be put on the back burner. With this reassurance in mind, he continues first term like this and the days seem to fly by seemingly in a blur. He ignores the ‘butterflies’ in his stomach when Hinata smiles at him with poorly concealed fondness and if the compliments he hands out to him at games makes him forget to breathe sometimes, well, he chalks it up to mere shyness.

Before he knows it, they’re all out for summer vacation and while he’s still able to get in some practice here and there, his contact with Hinata is very limited which works wonders on his previously consumed thoughts. It’s like the storm has already passed.

-

Of course, internal conflicts like these always ended up rearing their ugly head again at some point.

Which brought him to the first day of second term.

It had started off like a normal day, which had always involved him racing Hinata to school and though he’d rather not acknowledge it, the orange haired boy did end up winning by a very small (minuscule, practically microscopic) margin. Surprisingly, Hinata opted for humming quietly with a pep in his step as he entered the gym instead of his endless gloating that usually followed a win.

Suddenly, way too suddenly, bright brown eyes dart up to him and his breath gets caught in his throat. Then, with absolutely no mercy, Hinata _smiles_. It feels like Earth has tilted off its axis and the stars have aligned all in one go. Staring into his eyes, he could see a future filled with cozy oversized sweaters in front of a fireplace during the frigid winters. His warm gaze was reminiscent of freshly brewed coffee first thing in the morning. Cinnamon clogged his senses and god, how he hated the scent of cinnamon on any other occasion but for some unknown reason, Hinata made it smell like how he imagined being at home would feel like.

“-not even listening to me right now, are you?” He shook his head, breaking out of his daze.

A faint blush rose to his cheeks when he realized he had just daydreamed about his teammate in a totally non-platonic way. _Right in front of him._

And here he thought all of that had long since passed.

“Jeez Bakeyama, you lose one race and suddenly your brain shuts down.” Hinata teased with a small chuckle.

He should’ve replied with some equally witty response like he normally did but he completely loses his train of thought when the first laugh leaves Hinata’s mouth. That paired with the prominent crow’s feet at the corner of his eyes when they scrunch up is, well.....it’s really quite a sight.

“I’m gonna go grab the net from the storage closet. I was asking if we could go straight to practicing our quick before everyone else gets here.” Hinata said while they kept walking, his grin ever so permanently etched onto his face.

“Y-yeah whatever.” Kageyama managed to croak out.

Hinata rolled his eyes, the corners of his lips quirking upwards with mirth.

He detected movement from his peripheral vision and his eyes widened when he heard the condescending laugh of none other than the team’s calculative middle blocker. Unbeknownst to them, both Yamaguchi and Tsukishima had entered the gym shortly after them and had already begun to stretch.

“Well if it isn’t the two lovebirds cozying up in their natural habitat.” Tsukishima drawled with an arrogant smirk that stretched wider by the second.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Kageyama scowled, his eyebrow twitching. He hated to admit it but he could never help but give in to Tsukishima’s taunts no matter how much he swore each time would be the last. An idiot he sure was.

“Tsukki-“

At this point the rest of the team had started to file in and were unknowingly given front row seats to a now rather uncomfortable confrontation between two of their worst tempered players.

“Oh but isn’t it obvious what I mean? As far as I can tell, you and that midget are secretly dating and doing a poor job at concealing it.” He scoffed with his head held up high in a display of confidence.

Kageyama reeled back in shock. The feeling was similar to that of a bucket of cold water being dumped on him because it might as well have been just that.

“Okay that’s it, let’s just-“ Daichi attempted to intervene.

“W-what the hell! We’re not dating you idiot!” Kageyama yelled, stepping forward in an aggressive stance.

He was so worked up and furious that he hadn’t noticed how everyone else seemed to look at each other in confusion and disbelief.

“Wait, they aren’t?” He vaguely heard Nishinoya whisper at some point.

“Tsukishima, I didn’t know bullying was a full time job but I guess it might as well be since the day has barely started and you’re already being such an ass!” Hinata huffed, already walking away from the commotion.

“It ain’t your regular day at Karasuno if your teammates don’t get into fights huh?” Tanaka sighed in amused exasperation, grasping Sugawara and Daichi’s shoulders from behind.

Had Kageyama not been paying so much attention to the blonde male in front of him and the heat growing on his ears, he might’ve caught the split second in which Hinata’s expression morphed into one of fear.

-

To say that the rest of practice was awkward was an understatement. Hinata has gone all fidgety on him and couldn’t spike more than half of his sets which made him both furious and anxious. He knew in part that it had something to do with earlier that morning, but there was something else he couldn’t quite place his finger on. The spiker could hardly meet his eyes and stuttered like a hot mess, but Kageyama just couldn’t figure out what had triggered such a reaction when he would often brush off stupid arguments or teasing.

Instead of tossing the ball up again where Hinata was anxiously waiting with trembling legs, he sighed and decided to address the elephant in the room.

“Hey Hinata, what’s going on with you?” He asked hesitantly, spinning the ball around in his hands.

“W-what do you mean Kageyama?! I feel great!” Hinata shouted over enthusiastically.

“Is this about what happened earlier?” He frowned, worried that perhaps the insinuation of them being in a relationship had really made him uncomfortable. For some reason that thought made his heart sink a little.

“Well yeah I mean, wasn’t it weird? You didn’t think it was weird that the team thought we were dating?” The smaller boy mumbled while fiddling with his fingers.

“Of course I did. You’re my best friend and teammate.” He replied curtly. “But, Tsukishima’s always a jerk so you shouldn’t take it seriously.”

“Right, yeah that’s exactly what I was thinking.” Hinata’s voice cracked. His smile looked forced and the amber glow in his eyes had been replaced by a sheer gloss.

His frown deepened at that. After all, It was one thing to know that his feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated because disappointment wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling for him but for it to be actually confirmed was another can of worms he wasn’t expecting to be opened anytime soon. He swallowed down the lump in his throat and stared down at the volleyball in his hands if only to preoccupy himself with something other than his conflicting emotions.

“Alright guys, practice is over. Make sure to change quickly so you’re not late and no shenanigans in the club room - Tanaka, Nishinoya, I’m looking at you.” And as soon as Daichi had finalized practice, Hinata practically flew out of the gym.

“Trouble in paradise, King?” Tsukishima asked smugly when walking past him.

“Hey now, cut it out for real.” Sugawara appeared out of thin air to slap his troublemaking underclassman on the back. Completely ignoring the pained groan, he turns to Kageyama to assess his reaction. His probing stare asked the unspoken question: _are you okay?_

_No, I don’t think I am_ , he thought. He nodded his head and made his way out to change.

-

The next couple weeks consisted of him coasting through his classes with the material going in through one ear and out the other as per usual. He had gotten used to having lonely lunch as Hinata hadn’t sought him out during breaks but at least practices had been going a little less like a train wreck than it did that one morning. There was still some awkwardness lingering between him and Hinata but overall it hadn’t affected their game as much. The short spiker’s usual excited rambling was absent these days though and Kageyama found himself not liking it one bit. For as much as he complained about Hinata’s loudness, he also appreciated the openness and ability to communicate properly. Now it just felt like radio silence on Hinata’s end and if there was one thing that frustrated Kageyama to no end, it was not being able to read someone and predict what they were thinking.

He had decided to give Hinata some space so as not to seem overbearing but eventually it started to feel like it was putting a strain on their friendship. While he was grateful for the fact that they were able to separate personal lives from the court, he couldn’t deny that their connection wasn’t as strong as before and it was unsettling.

For the first time in three months he couldn’t wait for practice to end so he could talk to Hinata on their way home. The rest might not have mentioned it but everyone could tell how different he was acting and if he didn’t intervene early on, well he didn’t really know what would happen but it wouldn’t be good.

He silently got changed back into his uniform so deep in thought that he nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you there Kageyama.” Daichi stood behind him, smiling sheepishly. “I couldn’t help but notice you seemed antsy during practice. Am I wrong to assume this has something to do with Hinata’s recent behavior?” He asked sitting down on a stray chair.

He shook his head while putting on his jacket.

“I see. I had an inkling you’ve been trying to speak to him but he’s always running off as soon as practice ends. I asked him to stay back and clean up with a couple others but they might finish up soon so you should probably head back before he takes off again.”

“Right.” He nods quickly, pulling on the strap of his bag. He’s a couple steps away from the door and about to reach for the knob when Daichi stops him.

“Kageyama. You know, you’ve come a long way since the beginning of the school year. I don’t mean to be sappy, you know that’s not really my thing,” He chuckles almost as if he’s embarrassed. “But it’s refreshing to see how much more relaxed you are and I’m sure a lot of it has to do with your partnership with Hinata.”

Kageyama tilted his head in confusion, not quite understanding where the captain was getting at.

“I guess what I mean to say is that I’m very glad you were able to find someone who could both challenge and motivate you and vice versa. You two are good for each other so I hope you can work things out and keep that special bond.” He finishes with a cryptic smile.

He averts his eyes, not quite knowing how to respond to that. He settles for a one last shaky nod and a quiet thank you before hurriedly rushing out and down the stairs. He mentally crosses his fingers and hopes Hinata hasn’t left yet because dammit if he had to go another day of being avoided, he’d surely lose it.

He mutters a “thank god” under his breath when he sees that Hinata, Ennoshita and Sugawara haven’t finished cleaning up yet. So he uses that time to mull over Daichi’s words.

_”You two are good for each other.”_

He supposed in a sense that they were. They did argue a lot but he could also see how they balanced each other out because of that. He didn’t mind receiving criticism from his teammates, but he found that Hinata was really the only one who could give it to him straight with no fear whatsoever without being overly harsh about it and with the others it was usually one or the other. Much like how Hinata was the only one who could tell the difference between when he was being an unnecessarily mean grump and when his version of being nice was overly blunt statements with no real bite behind them.

If he was afraid of trying something risky, not only would Hinata encourage him but he would give him the small nudge he needed to execute it. On the other hand, he knew how to knock sense into Hinata when he wanted to try something that was way too over the top and reminded him to think about the entire team before diving headfirst into the unknown.

He knew that when Hinata was restless and itching for a toss, he would burn holes into the back of his head as a way of saying _pay attention to me Bakayama!_ Similarly, Hinata could take one look at his facial expression and immediately know what kind of attack he wanted him to jump for.

The more he thought about the little snippets of unspoken agreements, muted understandings of each other’s quirks and moments of comfortable silence between them, the more he realized that he just wouldn’t be able to settle for something as feeble as their so called partnership.

“Goodnight Sugawara-san, Ennoshita-san!” Hinata shouted as he walked out of the gym, about to turn in Kageyama’s direction. He froze, however, when he realized the frosty setter was standing right next to his bike.

“Huh, Kageyama? What are you still doing here?” He asked, still standing in place.

“I wanted to talk to you about something.” His eyes flitted to a figure walking out of the gym and Sugawara locking up behind them.

“Goodnight you two, don’t stay out too late!” Sugawara called out and as they both turned the other direction -Ennoshita waving at them tiredly- the silver haired boy suddenly turned around to give him a thumbs up.

_Weird_ , he thought.

“Hmm, okay then let’s get going.” Hinata said quietly.

They walked past the the Sakanoshita shop in silence until Kageyama realized they were approaching the intersection they always split at and knew he had to act quick.

“Hinata, be honest. You’re upset with me aren’t you?” He spoke up nervously.

The shorter boy stopped abruptly and looked up at him as if he had grown two heads.

“Why would I be upset with you? It’s not like you’ve done anything mean lately except- ” All of a sudden his eyes widened, “I knew it! You totally pocketed my curry bun last month and made poor Asahi-san give his away. At first I thought it was Tsukishima but I’ve connected the dots now.” He accused with narrowed eyes.

“What? No, you idiot! I meant you’ve been avoiding me lately!” Kageyama yelled, regard for the entire neighborhood be damned.

“Oh.” Hinata deflated, having the nerve to look guilty.

“Yeah, _oh_. And anyway, I thought we solved that mystery when coach apologized the next day for miscounting but of course you weren’t paying attention.” He shook his head in disbelief.

“Pfft, you’re one to talk.” Hinata resumed walking with his bike at his side.

“Are you- you know what I’m just going to let that slide because otherwise we’ll be going in circles. Don’t try to change the subject.”

“I don’t recall avoiding you, you must be imagining things Bakayama.” Hinata shrugged.

He didn’t bother calling him out on his hands trembling on the bike handles.

“Right, and pigs can swim.” He scoffed.

“Actually they can dumbass. You got the saying wrong, it’s fly not swim.”

“Can you be serious right now?” He stopped again, this time grabbing Hinata so he could look him in the eye.

“What do you want me to tell you Kageyama?” Hinata asked quietly. His eyes never looked duller than in that moment.

_”Keep that special bond.”_

“I want an honest answer from you because I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me and it’s throwing me off. You’re treating everyone the same so I can only assume it’s something I’ve done, am I not correct?” He still held on to the shorter boy’s arm with an iron grip.

“You’re not.” Hinata sighed.

“Then what gives?”

“It’s not easy to say okay?” Hinata ripped his arm away, not being able to meet his eyes anymore.

“I mean it obviously has something to do with me even if I didn’t do anything. Just tell me. I swear you won’t piss me off or anything just tell me.” He doesn’t think he’s ever seen Hinata look so small before. His presence was always all over the place, bouncing off the walls and hitting people when they least expected it. Whenever he was on the court, he demanded attention and attention he got.

Right now though, he looked about ready to melt into a puddle on the ground and that made Kageyama soften a little.

“Hinata, I promise it’s okay to tell me.”

“Would you still say it’s okay if I told you that I like you?” He looked up at him, his eyes seeming to search for something in him.

“What? I like you too, we’re friends aren’t we?”

“No, I mean-“ his voice cracked, “I mean like as in the ‘I’m kinda in love with you’ like.”

Kageyama froze.

Did he mean......

“Forget it. I knew it was gonna make things weird.” Hinata started walking fast ahead of him before he could even fully process what was happening.

“W-wait! Hinata stop!” He scrambled after him.

Hinata whipped around, bike thrown on the ground.

“What?! What could you possibly have to say? ‘I’m sorry’? Well save your breath because the last thing I need is your pity!” He shouted, tears running down his face.

“Can you fucking let me speak?!”

“I told you I don’t want-“

“I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU TOO!”

Silence.

“Haha very funny. Nice to know this is all a joke to you.” Still crying, he reached for his discarded bike.

“Are you kidding me? You think I would make fun of you about this? I guess you’re more of an idiot than I thought.” Kageyama was frankly a little disappointed that Hinata would think so low of him.

“You’re literally the one who said it was weird when Tsukishima suggested the idea of us dating.” Hinata said with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah cause you said it first and I didn’t know you felt the same so obviously I didn’t want to risk making you feel uncomfortable.” He explained walking closer to Hinata.

“Yeah well I only said it cause I thought you felt uncomfortable.” Hinata sniffled, wiping his eyes.

“Well I wasn’t.”

“Me neither.”

“I can’t believe this.”

They looked at each other in horror and turned around to see where the third voice came from, only to come face to face with Ukai leaning against the shop just a few feet away.

“Umm....coach, how long have you been standing there?” Hinata asked in a small voice.

“Long enough.” He sighed, standing up straight. “Look, I don’t care about that kind of stuff and I’m not gonna say anything cause it’s not my business so don’t freak out on me. I figured you two would be hungry after all that noise, so here.”

They flinched at the two brown paper bags thrown at them.

“Anyways, get home and stop acting out a drama on the streets for everyone to hear. Congrats and goodnight.” With one last wave, he retreated back inside.

They just looked at each other for a minute. Then, they burst out laughing.

The tension surrounding them had melted instantly and Kageyama found it easier to breathe again.

“All that buildup just for it to turn out we were both being stupid.” Hinata said, taking a curry bun out of his bag.

“Eh.” Kageyama said, already halfway through his. Hinata deadpanned.

They continued their walk, this time peacefully.

“So how long have you known?” Hinata chirped with a grin.

“Since after our three on three practice match.” He replied shyly.

“Gwuah no way, me too!” Hinata exclaimed, his eyes lighting up once more. Kageyama had certainly missed seeing that.

“So....does this mean...you know.” He trailed off, his ears burning.

“You can say we’re boyfriends, it’s not gonna kill you!” Hinata laughed.

“Shut up.”

They finally arrived at the intersection and they both seemed hesitant on what to say or do next.

“Well? Where’s my goodnight kiss Bakayama.” Hinata teased him.

“We shouldn’t m-move too fast.” He mentally facepalmed at the stutter.

“Eager aren’t we? I just meant a smooch on the cheek dummy. Come on you’re not gonna leave your boyfriend hanging are you?”

With no warning, Kageyama leaned down and gently pressed his lips to Hinata’s cheek before standing back up to meet his boyfriend’s loving gaze.

“Man, Tsukishima’s gonna have a field day with this one.” Hinata shook his head in fake somberness.

“I’ll beat him up.” Kageyama said seriously, puffing his chest out slightly.

“Ha! Okay hotshot, whatever you say.”

After a couple more minutes of hand holding and heart racing whispers, they eventually separated with promises of the future ahead of them.

Kageyama didn’t bother to fight the cheesy face splitting smile on his face.


End file.
